Maria Albini's "Blonde Meets City"

Kortenhaus account executive Maria Albini may be all business while in the office, but after hours, she runs the popular Blonde Meets City blog. The 20-something Simmons College grad's blog focuses on fashion and entrepreneurial women in and around Boston.

Our favorite recurring piece is "It Girls" where Albini profiles local businesswomen who are doing impressive and innovative work. Here's an excerpt about Kirstyn Pearl, founder of Seacoast Sweets:

Based off a family recipe, these treats are a must-try. “My grandfather used to give us his homemade peppermint patties every year for Christmas.” said Kirstyn. “He didn’t make them often as it was only a hobby during his retirement - they were truly something we looked forward to. Once my family started handing the chocolates out to our friends and neighbors, requests for more grew to the point at which I recognized an opportunity. I approached my grandfather with the idea to sell, he passed down his recipe, and I began selling eppermint patties out of my dorm room to drunk friends on Friday nights.”

Over the years, the company solely remained a hobby as well for Kirstyn. She took Seacoast Sweets to the next level in October 2015 after continued word-of-mouth gave her no choice but to take a leap of faith. Kirstyn now has 7 all-women employees & recently completed a Kickstarter campaign, raising $43k in just 30 days.